As some of you may or may not know, once per week I write a blog article on the Takoma Park Patch.  Here is the blog posted on March 27th.

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Recently, someone commented on my posting entitled Gratia Benedictus XVI.   This writer, who stated she (and I only assume it was a she but it could have been a he) was a Catholic School teacher.  She was very upset that the priest at her parish spoke about the petition against gay marriage.  She stated: "He went on endlessly spewing hatred and discussing a topic I had not yet discussed myself with my daughter. While I can accept him even with this attitude, I have to wonder if he would accept me and the way I believe?" 

I am not quite certain what the "hatred" was, but we can safely assume that the author believed that homosexual marriage was okay.  I can only surmise that abortion is probably okay too, but the author did not go into that topic.

This led me to think that maybe it is time for Cardinal Wuerl and the Archdiocese of Washington to ask all teachers (in fact all employees), that as part of their contract (if they do not do so already), they agree to believe, teach, administer and live by the Catholic Faith.  

One bishop, Bishop Vasa of Santa Rosa has asked his teachers to do so.  According to contract addendum, they are reminded that they are "a ministerial  agent of the Bishop who is the chief 'teacher' of the Diocese."   In addition, they also agree that they are "cognizant of the fact that modern errors -- including but not limited to matters that gravely offend human dignity and the common good such as contraception, abortion, homosexual 'marriage' and euthanasia -- while broadly accepted in society, are not consistent with the clear teachings of the Catholic Church."

Now some of you are saying:  How dare the Bishop do this!  He has no right!  You are out of your mind to even suggest such a thing!

But how many of us work for a place that has a code of ethics/conduct?  How many of us agreed to it?  Does it have language about pornography at work, sexual advances, supporting LGBT lifestyles, etc?  Do you necessarily agree with every statement made?  Then how is it different than what Bishop Vasa is asking and what Cardinal Wuerl should do, if he is not doing it already?

Personally, I would love to see this implemented in this Archdiocese, if it is not being done already.  Oh, and if the teacher who commented signed such an agreement, then maybe she should reconsider who she (or he) works for.   Oh, and you should thank that priest for standing up for true marriage.

Note:  This blog posting does not necessarily represent the views of the Archidocese of Washington or the Catholic Church in the US.  But maybe it should.